Bafana Bafana star faces uncertain future

Siphiwe Tshabalala is currently at Championship side Crystal Palace keeping himself fit. It had initially been reported that he is having trials there with a possible move away from Kaizer Chiefs. Crystal Palace boss Dougie Freedman admits that any move to sign Siphiwe Tshabalala may have to wait until the end of the season.

“He’ll be with us for a couple of weeks but it’s not really a trial as such – his friend KG is over here and he’s just keeping himself fit. It’s an opportunity for him with South Africa not getting to the African championships to keep his training up. As we speak right now it’s probably in the summer that we will revisit that one in terms of signing.” This is contradicting to the newspaper reports and agent claiming the transfer is very possible. Now we hear Kaizer Chiefs will resume talks with Itumeleng Khune and Siphiwe Tshabalala when Bobby Motaung returns from holiday. - from Kickoff.com


Personally I do not think a player like Tshabalala needs to go for trials to any team. The player is a regular at Kaizer Chiefs and Bafana Bafana. He played a leading role for the national side at the 2010 World Cup. A move overseas has been long overdue.
 
Tshabalala is used mostly on the left-wing but sometimes plays in a more central role. He is a hard working player. He makes good runs and can cross the ball well. The other good thing about him is that he scores a few goals for every team he plays for and has a powerful left foot (2010 FIFA World cup opening goal). He is disciplined on and off the field. You only find his name on the back pages of newspapers which is where footballers must be. I have never seen him get a single red card since 2006. He helps out the left back when the team is defending. The right foot though is just good for standing with him. Adapting to life at Crystal Palace should be made easier for him because another Bafana Bafana midfielder, Kagisho Dikgacoi is already there. He is used to playing in front of big crowds of around 60,000-90,000 all blowing vuvuzelas.
 
Tshabalala only has 6 months left on his current contract with Kaizer Chiefs. The Chiefs management would rather seal a deal now in this transfer window than wait and have him move for free in June. It would be difficult for them to put a very high transfer fee for him as time is running out and they would still want to make money out of the move. I do not think Palace will sign him now. They will wait and try to get him for free in June. Mamelodi Sundowns are also following the happenings closely as they want to give him an offer he cannot refuse. If he does not move overseas I think he will stay at Naturena.
 
He will be a big loss to Kaizer Chiefs as they are currently fighting to win the league title back from their rivals Orlando Pirates. Any Kaizer Chiefs fan will tell you about his contribution to the side. The only medal missing for him is a League winner’s medal. It would be great if he could leave having won the league with his childhood team. If there is one player who deserves a move to England that player is Siphiwe Tshabalala. He has earned it.

Thierry Henry: A Gunner for Life

Thierry Henry and Robert Pires

Thierry Henry was one of three club legends to be honoured as part of their 125th anniversary celebrations, with former manager Herbert Chapman and also captain Tony Adams, who led Arsene Wenger's men to the Double twice, each receiving a similar tribute. A statue was unveiled at the Emirates depicting Henry in his famous knee-slide goal celebration.

Thierry Henry statue outside The Emirates

The first time I saw Henry play was in 1997-98 season for AS Monaco in the UEFA Champions League. He formed a deadly partnership with David Trezeguet at the time. Most South Africans will remember Thierry Henry in our 1st game ever at the World Cup in 1998 against France. He gave Willem Jackson a torrid time that night as France ran out 3-0 winners.

I am not an Arsenal fan but I am a Thierry Henry fan. I enjoyed the way he played the game at Arsenal. His pace, passing, movement and most importantly his finishing was world class during his time there. He had great players around him though. The likes of Pires, Viera, Bergkamp etc were carefully chosen by Arsene Wenger to form one of the greatest Arsenal sides ever seen.


Henry was converted into a striker at Arsenal but became so prolific it was as if he had always played upfront. If you give him a penalty he will score, give him a free-kick he will score, one-on-one with the keeper he will score again. A goal scoring machine. Words that were used to describe some of his goals were “spectacular”,”vavavoom”,“genius”,”unbelievable”.

Thierry Henry with Arsene Wenger

Thierry Henry lit-up Highbury and The Emirates with his style of football and cool calm finishes in front of goals. I am proud to say I lived in the times of Thierry Henry, Arsenal Legend and a Gunner for LIFE!

The Bucs' Ship keeps on sailing.

Daine Klate scores 2nd goal

When Moses Mabhida was announced as the venue for the TKO Final this year I jumped for joy. We like to ask the people who live in Cape Town whether they can see the mountain; well I can see the stadium everyday.


People in KZN love their football and you can see by the attendance. The mood in and around the stadium last Saturday was celebratory despite the light rain.This was always going to be a good game because of the two teams involved. The young Wits side had beaten Pirates 3-1 a couple of weeks earlier.



Wits did not start the match well. The occasion might have been too big for the young players as Pirates took the lead the very 1st time they attacked in the match. This was surprising as Wits had seasoned defender OJ Mabizela to marshal the defense. It could have been 2-0 soon after had Mabena not missed an open net. It took Wits a long time to settle down and play their normal passing & possession football.

Jali and Segolela celebrate

The Wits coaches clashed with Benni at half-time near the tunnel. This just added some drama to the occasion. Wits came back a different team in the 2nd half. They were more confident on the ball and direct in their play. The passes were sharper now this resulted in an equalizer by Myeni. This goal revealed everyone that was not supporting Pirates inside the stadium. Suddenly the rain became heavier. This coincided with Pirates taking back the lead with a scorcher by Klate. 2-1. Wits boys looked a beaten side. This goal hit them hard. Chansa’s goal to make it 3-1 signaled the start of the celebrations and the exit of the anti-Pirates fans from the stadium. The team with a big match temperament had triumphed once again. .

Lucky Lekgwathi and Benni McCarthy



Bucs lift trophy

Is Katlego Mphela the best we have?

“All the coaches and journalists must give me that name. We need that name. It's a fact Mphela is the best we have.” Bafana Bafana coach Pitso Mosimane.

Pitso has worked with Katlego Mphela and knows his strengths and weaknesses. The last 5 years they have worked together either at Supersport United or Bafana Bafana. Mphela has scored 40 goals in 76 games for Sundowns and 22 goals in 42 Bafana Bafana games as of 16 July 2011. This is an average of 1 goal every 2 games. Last season he scored 13 goals in the PSL.This season he is top goal scorer with 7 goals in PSL as at 28 November 2011.

What other options do we have? Lehlohonolo Majoro scored 14 goals in 27 games last season for Amazulu. But this season he has struggled at Chiefs to finish his chances. Bradley Grobler netted 13 goals in PSL last season and also scored on debut against Zimbabwe. Currently he has 3 goals in 11 starts for his Turkish team. There is Siyabonga Nomvethe at Moroka Swallows who has scored 6 goals already this season. Age is against him as he is now 33. Ryan Chapman has emerged at Wits as a top striker. The way he handled Siyabonga Sangweni as he went on to score a brace against Pirates was very impressive. Other strikers we have are Kermit Erasmus, Terror Fanteni, Siya Nontshinga and Bernard Parker fighting for a place. David Somma is currently injured.

These strikers are good but for me they can only be used as cover in case Mphela gets injured or as his strike-partner. They are not scoring consistently enough to put Killer on the bench.

Player power in the PSL

Kaizer Chiefs coach trying to win back the trust of his players

No matter how much club officials, coaches and fans try to deny it, players have a lot of power in their teams. They can decide how long a coach stays at a club. When players are happy the job of a coach becomes a lot easier. They will fight for him till the last second of the match. We always hear about “players playing for their coach” or the coach has “lost the dressing room”. These are just some of the signs of player power in football these days. Usually when a coach has “lost the dressing room” there is no turning back for him.

The PSL season is only 3 months old and already we have seen player power in action at Golden Arrows and Kaizer Chiefs. Golden Arrows assembled a star-studded squad during pre-season. It looked like they will be a force to be reckoned with. They have seasoned players like Katlego Mashego, Collins Mbesuma, Dillon Sheppard, Siyabonga Nkosi and Robyn Johannes in their line-up just to name a few. It was surprising that after 3 matches played in the season Arrows had lost all 3 games. This is when questions start being asked. What was wrong? The man-management skills of German coach Ernst Middendorp came into question during his brief spell at the club. The players were unhappy with the way he was treating them. Some were speaking anonymously to the media about being neglected by the coach. Some even boldly said they will not win any games while he is in charge. The results were not coming and management had no choice but to end the contract with the coach.

This is how much power players have right now in the PSL. Fast-forward to Muhsin Ertugral taking over at Arrows. The team gets a draw against Sundowns and knockout table-topping Supersport united from the Telkom Cup. Players are now saying how happy they are under the new coach who does not treat them like “robots”.

There are also rumours of player power being the reason Kaizer Chiefs are inconsistent in their football these days. Vladimir Vermezovic blasted his senior players for allowing young George Lebese to take a controversial late penalty that could have salvaged a share of the spoils with Arrows. This was not the first time he blamed “Bafana bafana players” for the team losing an important match. Players are unhappy with the way former captain Jimmy Tau has been treated by the coach. The difference between Kaizer Chiefs management and Golden Arrows management is that Vladimir Vermezovic has the full backing of the Chiefs management currently.

The only way player power can be stopped from ruining the team is for the club management to get involved as soon as possible.

A Job well done!

New Zealand lift the Rugby World Cup 2011

Ritchie McCaw and the New Zealand Rugby team

The nation waited 24 years to lift the Rugby World Cup again. During those 24 years New Zealand has produced some of the best rugby players the world has ever seen. The wait has also been very long for Captain Ritchie McCaw who made his debut for the All Blacks back in 2001. It was a tense final as usually are. The French side gave the All Blacks a tough time from confronting the haka before the game till the final whistle. All Blacks are known for their great attacking rugby and scoring great tries. But this time it was their discipline in defense that won them the match.

Mario Balotelli celebrates after scoring the 1st goal

Mario Balotelli and the Manchester City team

Mario just cannot seem to stay out of the newspapers. If he is not scoring goals he is being a menace. He is now known as the “crazy guy” because of his antics. Pre-season he tried to score a back heel goal and was substituted immediately. This past Saturday the fire brigade had to rescue him from his house after him and his friends were setting alight fireworks inside his bathroom and some towels caught fire. Roberto Mancini is having a hard time controlling the italian youngster.

Now for the good side of Mario. A few hours later he started the match against the bitter rivals Manchester United and scored a brace of goals. He opened the scoring with cool finish. Man united does not lose at Old Trafford often. For Manchester city to go there and not only win but humiliate the champions in front of their home fans is an amazing performance. People like Sergio Aguero and Dzeko are in great scoring form. Before the game a draw or a Manchester united win was the favoured result amongst the football analysts. Sir Alex Ferguson called it “Our worst day ever!” The win took City 5 points clear at the top of the log. It also improved their goal difference in a big way and damaged the goal difference for United. It is going to be very difficult to catch this high-flying Manchester City side now.

Graeme Smith salutes the crowd and teammates after getting his half-century

Graeme Smith and the Proteas team

Finally the rust has been removed from the South African cricket side. They finally put on a complete performance in one match. Batting, bowling and fielding all came good on a beautiful Sunday in St George’s Park. Graeme Smith has been under-pressure from the fans as he has struggled to score runs. For the 1st time in a long time he was moving his feet well and striking the ball convincingly through mid-off and extra cover. It looks like he is coming back to his normal self. He was involved in an important innings rebuilding partnership with Jacques Kallis after losing Amla in the 1st ball of the innings. It was disappointing though the way he threw away his wicket by attempting a reverse sweep. As Robin Jackman said it “the reverse sweep is just not his shot” It was also good to see the rest of the middle order come into the party with some runs. David Miller played a very solid knock and dominant knock. He showed why he had been brought back into the side after being left out for the world cup. People like JP Duminy will no doubt be helped to have a strong hitter like Miller in the line-up.


The batsmen got over 300 runs in 50 overs for the 1st time this season against Australia. This is good when we consider the schedule they will have from now on. Our bowling attack is looking better with each day and will trouble most teams in the world. Lonwabo Tsotsobe and Morne Morkel are hitting their lengths and lines with relative ease now. Dale Steyn has struggled so far but hopefully he will get better as he bowls more each day. They beat a good Australian side by 80 runs to level the series 1-1. Durban Kingsmead will host the series decider. Hopefully it does not rain.

Moment of the Week : The French rugby team deciding to confront the New zealand haka before the start of the final. They got fined for doing it but it was worth it.

French side advanced and joined hands to confront the Haka

Back to the Bread and Butter

Normal service is resumed this weekend. Club football returns after what seems to have been a very long break for international football. There are also the Rugby World Cup semi finals. Since the Springboks got knocked out last weekend it feels like the world cup ended. We also have some international cricket for the Proteas.


As with all international breaks as players return to their respective clubs the first question is “Who got injured?”. The international break is usually welcomed by struggling teams as it gives them a chance to re-focus and re-strategize. Whereas the teams that were doing well before the break are very unhappy as they feel they will lose their momentum and good form.

Siya’s Top 4 must watch games this weekend:

Wayne Rooney and Steven Gerrard

 Liverpool vs Manchester United at Anfield Stadium
Supersport 3, Saturday, 13h00


When the fixture list for the season is released, the 2 games everyone checks are Liverpool versus Manchester United. The rivalry between these two sides makes this match a must watch. I cannot remember the last time these two played a boring 0-0 game. There will be goals in this one and lots of yellow cards maybe even a red. Last season in the corresponding fixture Liverpool won 3-1. Sir Alex Ferguson will not want to lose again this season. The traveling might be a factor in the 2nd half as players like Suarez and Hernandez have been playing halfway around the world in World cup qualifiers. The defense of Manchester united has been shaky of late as Basle showed in Champions League. Liverpool have also not been at their best as yet.
Prediction: 2-2

Golden Arrows vs Mamelodi Sundowns at King Zwelithini Stadium
Supersport 4, Saturday, 18h00



 This will be the 1st game in charge for Muhsin Ertugral at Arrows. Talk about a baptism of fire for the new coach. He has had couple of weeks to work with the players and would have been happy with the break in league action. The last time Arrows played they beat Kaizer Chiefs 2-1. Sundowns have been blowing hot and cold this season so far. They can be brilliant in the 1st half (look unbeatable) and be average in 2nd half of games. At their best Mamelodi Sundowns is a marvel to watch. This fixture always has goals in it.
Prediction: 1-2

Sonny Bill Williams

New Zealand vs Australia at Eden Park
Supersport 1, Sunday, 09h30

This should have been the rugby world cup final. Unfortunately these 2 top rugby teams have to meet at the semi-final stage. Some people are saying whoever wins this match will win the whole thing. New Zealand is the only side unbeaten since the tournament started. History tells us that every team that has won the rugby world cup went through the whole tournament unbeaten. The injuries that New Zealand has suffered will be crucial though. Losing top players like Dan Carter and Mills Muliaina will not make life easy. The Australians are lucky to have reached this stage as I feel the Boks should have put them away last week. They were bashed and bruised last weekend and had to tackle for their lives. This will be one battle too many for the Aussies. I just hope the referee does not spoil this match.
Prediction: 22-12

Robin Peterson

South Africa vs Australia, Wanderers Stadium
Supersport 2, Sunday, 14h30

This is the 2nd T20 between these 2 teams after last night. The Proteas looked rusty and under-cooked in the 1st game. Their intensity levels need to be raised; the fielding must improve, running between the wickets also. Graeme Smith needs to go back and play domestic cricket to regain form. His footwork was non-existent last night as he scratched around for a 6 ball duck. JP Duminy played well and should continue with his early form. Rusty Theron needs to improve as he could not hit his lengths. The Australians were impressive with their youngsters in particular Pat Cummins who at 18 looks very fast and accurate. He will be a handful for many years to come. South Africa should come back strongly in this one and will win
Prediction: SA win by 15 runs

Other matches to look out for:
Pirates vs Amazulu
Leopards vs Chiefs
Wales vs France